Restraint System (Air Bag and Seat Belt) Cases
Restraint systems, such as air bags and seat belts, are supposed to protect vehicle occupants during a crash. However, sometimes these devices that are supposed to protect us actually do us harm. No passenger should be injured and killed in a survivable crash because of a poorly designed restraint systems.
The list below is only a partial list of Langdon & Emison cases involving restraint system defects. For more information about dangerous restraint systems, see the links below:
 Caught In The Middle (Seat Belt) video |
 When Safety Belts Fail article |
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CASE NAME
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TYPE OF CASE
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SYNOPSIS
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Blankenship v. GM |
Center Seat Lap Belt Only Confidential Settlement |
Jessica Blankenship was riding in the middle row center seat of a Pontiac Transport minivan. The driver of the minivan lost control going around a curve and hit a tree. The two front seat passengers were wearing three-point lap/shoulder seat belts and were uninjured in the collision. Jessica was wearing the lap belt only seat belt provided for the middle row center seating position. The two front seat passengers were uninjured. However, the lap belt caused severe internal injuries and caused Jessica to become paralyzed from the waist down. This case resulted in confidential settlement. |
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Callaway v. Ford |
Air Bag Failed To Deploy Confidential Settlement |
A car pulled out in front of the vehicle in which Callaway was a passenger. The airbag failed to deploy and Callaway made contact with the windshield, causing him to suffer serious injuries. This case resulted in a confidential settlement. |
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Craun v. GM |
Seat Belt Failure Confidential Settlement |
Serious injuries and death were caused by a head-on collision wherein the restraint system failed and allowed the plaintiff to strike the steering wheel and windshield. This case resulted in a confidential settlement. |
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Fine v. GM |
Automatic Seat Belt Confidential Settlement |
An 11-year old girl, Windy Fine, was riding in the front passenger seat of a Saturn vehicle, manufactured by General Motors. The Saturn was struck by another vehicle and hit the rear-end of a tow truck at low speed. No other occupant of the Saturn vehicle was injured in this collision, but Windy was fatally injured by the automatic seat belt. This case resulted in a confidential settlement. |
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Hess v. Honda |
Center Seat Lap Belt Only Currently Pending |
C.B Hess was traveling with a group of friends when the driver of the Honda CR-V lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree. C.B. Hess was the only occupant wearing a seat belt and the only occupant killed in this collision. Every expert in this case has agreed that the lap belt only seat belt that C.B. was wearing at the time of the collision caused the injuries that killed him. This case is currently pending in Jackson County, Indiana (south of Indianapolis). |
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Lawson v. Century Child Seats and GM |
Child Car Seat / Automatic Seat Belt Confidential Settlement |
A young child was riding in a car seat when this vehicle was in a head-on collision. The child suffered serious brain damage. This case resulted in a confidential settlement. Click Here to view a news article about this case. |
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Kircher v. Nissan |
Automatic Seat Belt Confidential Settlement |
Mrs. Kircher was involved in a head-on collision which rendered her a paraplegic as a result of the passive, automatic seat belt she was wearing. The case resulted in a confidential settlement.
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Schouten v. Ford |
Rear Seat Lap Belt Only Confidential Settlement |
This Ford vehicle was equipped with a rear center seat lap belt only restraint system. A child sitting in the rear of the car was paralyzed as a result of an accident. The child’s mother and father, front seat occupants, were not seriously injured. This case resulted in a confidential settlement while the jury was being brought into the courtroom. |
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Williams v. Ford |
Restraint System / Seat Design Confidential Settlement |
A young man fell asleep in his car, lost control and went off the road. He bottomed out in his seat, allowing his shoulder belt to come up around his neck. He was rendered a quadriplegic as a result of this accident. This case resulted in a confidential settlement. |
